Music instruction device



June 1, 1937. A. F. V-ON DER LIN DEN 2,082,432

MUS I0 INSTRUCTION DEVICE Filed Dec. 31, 1935 Fil- . ay 5142? 71 a I' 517% ArihurFz/an derlz'nden INVENTEJR f WW ATTEIFINEY 55 embodying theinvention.

Patented June 1, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT QFFlQE MUSIC INSTRUCTIONDEVICE Arthur F. vcn der Linden, Bloomfield, N. J.

Application December 31, 1935, Serial No. 56,892

. sentations of various musical symbols adapted to be arranged indifferent combinations to simulate written music.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed having representations of musical symbols provided with meansfor mounting the same on various parts of the staff, either on the linesthereof, or between said lines.

A further object of this invention. is to provide a device of thecharacter described, having a backboard provided with rubber suctioncups and eye hooks for conveniently mounting the same either on ablackboard or wall, and facilitating shifting of the device from room toroom.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a neat, compactand rugged device of the character described which shall be relativelyin expensive to manufacture, simple to manipulate and withal, practicaland efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements,

30 and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in theconstruction hereinafter described, and of which the scope ofapplication will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the variouspossible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a music instruction deviceembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side edge view of a member representing a note of music;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the device 3 shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial front elevational view of the structure shown inFig. 1 and illustrating the position of representations of a note indifferent positions on the staff.

Fi 6 is a, cross-sectional view of a device embodying the invention andillustrating a modified construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, It) designates a musicalinstruction chart or device The device l0 comprises an elongated fiatoblong board ll having longitudinal top and bottom edges 82 and endedges I3.

Fixed to or integrally formed with the back board H are a plurality oflongitudinal parallel rails or tracks l5 spaced apart by equaldistances. There are preferably five rails l5 representing the fivelines of a staff. The rails l5 are preferably centrally located withrespect to the top and bottom edges IX of the member H, and are eachformed with an upstanding flange it spaced from and parallel to thebackboard l l. The rails or tracks preferably extend clear through fromone end to the other of the backboard.

Fixed to the four corners of the rear surface I id of the backboard Hand to intermediate portions of the backboard adjacent the top andbottom edges thereof, are suction cups it of rubber, preferably screwedto the backboard by means of the screws 58. With such construction, thebackboard may be mounted on any fiat wall, for example, a blackboard ina schoolroom. There may be further screwed to the top edge 52 of thebackboard H, a pair of eyelets 20 so that the backboard may be hung froma pair of hooks.

Mounted on the tracks or rails l5 are representations of various musicalsymbols, for example, clefs, notes, flats, bars, sharps or the likesymbols. Each one has a conventional contour or shape and is made offlat wood, metal, composition or other suitable material. One of saidrepresentations is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and comprises a member 22,simulating a note of music.

For mounting the member 22 on the backboard, there is pivotly attachedto the rear surface, as by rivet 23, a hanger or bracket 24. The bracket24 has a portion 25 contacting the rear surface of the member 22.Extending rearwardly from the upper and lower ends of the portion 25 areportions 26 from which there extends inwardly aligned portions 2'!terminating short of one another. The bracket is thus provided withhooks at the ends thereof. As shown in the drawing, the rivet 23, whichpivotly attaches the bracket 24 to the member 22, is longitudinally offcenter with respect to the portion 25 of the hanger. Thus, one hookportion of the hanger is closer to the rivet than the other hookportion. The member 22 is mounted on a backboard by engaging the upperhook portion of the hanger with the flange iii of one of the tracks orrails l5. Preferably, the length of the hanger from top to bottom isequal to the distance between centers of a pair of adjacent tracks [5,and the pivotal point is one-quarter of the distanoe from one end of thehanger 25 to the other. When the hanger is thus rotated through an angleof 180 degrees, the position of the hanger is shifted on the member 22by a distance equal to half the distance between centers of a pair ofadjacent tracks.

The rivet 23, furthermore, is so located on the member 22 that when saidmember is hung on one of the tracks 15, the note will be located eitheron one of the lines of the staff or between the lines of the staff,depending upon whether the bracket 24 is in the full or dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The note may thus be moved halfthe distance between a pair of adjacent tracks or lines of the staff byrotating the bracket 24 from the full line position of Fig. 3 to thedotted line position and hanging the note on the same track. To shiftthe member 22 the full distance between a pair of adjacent lines of thestaff, the member is re moved from one track and hung on the nextadjacent track. The members 22, furthermore, may be readily slidablymoved along the tracks as will be apparent from the drawing.

It will now be understood that the device In 3 is a visible means ofdemonstrating to a class in music, the meaning of different positions ofthe notes on the staff. By using the simple catch or hanger, the pupilmay very easily shift the notes from one position to another. Thebackboard, furthermore, may be very easily moved from one room toanother so that it can be used in more than one room. Its method ofattach ment to any part of the room facilitates the shifting thereoffrom one room to another.

In Fig. 6, there is shown a modified construction wherein member 22a,which is a representation of a note or other musical symbol, has fixedto the rear surface thereof, in any suitable manner, a pair of spacedchannel-shaped brackets 30. Members 30 may be made of rubber or othersuitable material and are spaced apart, between centers, a distanceequal to half the distance between, centers of adjacent tracks. Themember 22a may be mounted on one of the tracks by en gaging the fingers3| of one of the brackets 3|] with one of the tracks l5. Said member 22amay be shifted half the distance between an adjacent pair of tracks bypulling the same off the track and again mounting the same on said trackby engaging the other bracket 30 therewith.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a backboard and a plurality of parallel tracksattached thereto, a member representing a musical symbol, and aplurality of channel-shaped brackets fixed to said member, and eachadapted to grip one of said tracks, the distance between the centers ofsaid brackets being equal to half the distance between centers of a pairof adjacent tracks.

2. In combination, a backboard and a plurality of parallel tracksattached thereto, a member representing a musical symbol, and aplurality of ohanneL-shaped brackets fixed to said member, and eachadapted to grip one of said tracks, the distance between the centers ofsaid brackets being equal to half the distance between centers of a pairof adjacent tracks, said brackets being made of rubber.

ARTHUR F. VON DER LINDEN.

